Engraving-machine.



PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904,

R. E. GRAY. ENGRAVING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILE]? AUG. 3, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

NO IODEL- PATENTBD AUG. 16, 1904.

R. B. GRAY. BNGRAVING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3. 1903.

2 SKEETS-SHEET 2.

- citizen of the United States, residing at 1106 I tained must begreatly lacking in uniformity UNITED STATES Patented August 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROSS E. GRAY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ENGRAVlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 767,938, dated August16, 1904.

' Application filed August 3, 1903.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, Ross EVERETT GRAY, a

K street, northeast, Washington, District of Columbia, have invented newand useful Improvements in Engraving-Machines, of which the following isa specification. i

My invention relates to machines for engraving on metal, and isprimarily designed for the purpose of engraving the large letters I usedin titles and similar matter appearing upon maps, charts, and similarpublications. In the usual practice of the art the engraver is requiredto design and spacethe letters to be engraved and then trace andtransfer the same to the surface of the plate before the operation canbe commenced. The engraver" then outlines the letters with a' graver andfinishes the same by threading or lining the surface to be printedwithin the outline. This process necessitates the expenditure of muchtime and results in the production of work of varying exactitude andvalue, and it is obvious to any one that in places employing a largenumber of men the results atand very expensive in production, and whilemachines have been proposed for this purpose embodying an adjustablework-holder such have not been practical, chiefly because of the greatamount of space required on large work and the additional elementsneeded to efiect adjustment of the work, whereby undue complication ofthe mechanism results. This invention is designed to overcome theseobjections and to provide an efficient and simple mechanism by means ofwhich lettering and similar matter may be produced upon metal platesfrom previously-designed types or patterns arranged in any suitable wayin such manner as to insure a uniform style in the result or product andat minimum expenditure of labor and skill in its production. With theseobjects in view my invention consists in the novel combination anddetails thereof, as hereinafter described, with reference to theaccompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings accompanying, this specifi- Serial No.'168,048. (N0model.)

cation, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine constructed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showingthe method'of supporting the traveling beam upon which the pantograph iscarried.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail on the line 3 8 of different patterns.

Referring to the drawings, A is a fixed base or table forming a supportor work-holder upon which the plate to be engraved is carried andprovided at each end with elevated guide-rails a a, supported on blocksA A, which rails are provided with vertical longitudinal slots A A andbearing-surfaces A A,

upon which the ends of a traveling beam B, 1

supported in suitable bearings, are adapted to slide. The ends of thebeam B are supported in bearing-blocks b 6, provided with vertical slots5 6, adapted to register in line with the vertical slots A A in theguide-rails A A, in which slots gear-wheels Z2 6 are rotatably mountedand mesh with racks A A at the bottom of said slots, and thereby movethe traveling beam along the rails. For the purpose of moving thetraveling beam along the rails and imparting equal motion to the gearsZ2 5 a longitudinal shaft 0 is mounted in suitable bearings 0 0 on therear face of the traveling beam B and provided at its ends with pinionsC O, adapted to engage thev gears 6 b the shaft being rotated byabevel-gear O mounted near its'oenterand receiving motion from a similargear C mounted on a short vertical shaft D, carried in recessed bracket03 and provided with a suitable handle D. The rotation of this handlethrough the gearing imparts an equal and steady motion to the two endsof the traveling beam to and from the front of the table independent ofthe direction of rotation. In'order to prevent the unsteadiness thatmight arise through end play in the bearing-blocks, one of the guide.-

. ferring the pattern to the plate.

rails. is made V-shaped, as indicated at m, and the correspondingbearing-block suitably grooved.

A dovetailed bracket Efor supporting the pantograph is slidably mountedon the face of the beam B and is moved longitudinally thereof by meansof a hand-wheel 0, carried in a projecting bracket 0 and provided with apinion 0 meshing with a rack R, carried by the beam 13. Mounted withinthe face of the bracket E is a vertical slide F, provided withhorizontal brackets ff, between which is carried an upright spindle G.The slideF is adjustable vertically in relation to the bracket E bymeans of a screw H, mounted therein and passing through a boss f,projecting from the back of the slide F and moving in a vertical slot 6in the bracket E. The screw H is provided, preferably, with a milledhead by which it may be readily turned. The spindle G is mounted at itslower end upon an adjustable screw 9 and at its upper end in a shortspindle g, carried by an adjusting-block, which is movable in relationto the bracket on which it is carried through an adjustingscrew 9 bymeans of which the alinement of the spindle is kept at the vertical.

Upon the spindle G is mounted a bracket I,

sustaining two of the arms of a suspendedpantograph K. This pantographmay be of any well-known construction as long as the essential featuresof a wide range of adjustability and the maximum of accuracy aresecured; but the preferred form is one in which the ends of the bars 707c are suspended from the head of the spindle G by wires 7c is, attachedat their ends to adjusting-screws 70 71?, carried in posts 71: k mountedon the bars. The outer end of the bar K of the pantograph carries anadjustable tracing-point L, by which the lines of the pattern can befollowed, and the intermediate bar K carries a holder in which issecured the tool M, used for trans- The bars are adjustable in relationto each other in order to vary the relative movement of thetracing-point and reproducing-tool and are preferably provided withgraduations or scales, by means of which the amount of variation may bedetermined, and as the supporting-slide of the pantograph is adjustablein three directionsthat is, horizontally in two directions at rightangles to each other and verticallya wide range of adjustment isprovided for various sizes of work, such ada 02/ secured thereto in sucha manner as to form a channel 71?, within which the matrices or patternsP may be inserted. At one end the channel is closed by a stop-piece a",against which the end of the line of matrices is held by means of aclamp a", forced against the rear end of the line.

The patterns P are preferably formed of sheet metal and are providedwith an intaglio pattern or letter engraved therein, which patterns maybe in simple outline, as shown in pattern 6, in which case the finishingol the work would be done by hand or with lining or threading 1 as shownin pattern (3", in which case the entire operation of engraving theletter can be finished by the machine. The lining or threading shown inpattern 6" consists of a series of lines 9/ engraved within the outlineof the letter and terminating in a channel or groove of greater depth,as shown. As a result of this arrangement, the tracing-point will beguided from one line to another and a practically continuous linecovering the area which it is desired to engrave will result.

In the operation of the machine the sliding bracket is adjusted toproper position longitudinally and transversely in relation to the plateby moving the same along the traveling beam and the beam along itssuprmrtiug-rails. Vertical adjustment to allow for variations in thethickness of plates, &c., is secured by moving the slide carrying thepantograph by means of its adjusting-screw.

Any form of tool desired may be used for cutting the lines. Forinstance, a rotary tool may be driven from the point of suspension ofthe pantograph, a point may be used to indent or cut the copper, or theplate may be coated and after transfer of the work may be etched withsuitable acid.

It is obvious that the mechanism may be greatly varied as to details ofconstruction and arrangement without departure from my invention andthat other arrangements of the types, patterns, and chases may besubstituted for that shown.

I claim as my invention 1. In an engraving-machine, the combination witha fixed base upon which a plate and pattern are supported, of asupporting-heam movable across said base, a pantograph-support in whicha pantograph is freely suspended carried by said beam and adjustableboth longitudinally and vertically with respect thereto, substantiallyas described.

2. In an engraving-machiue, the combination with a fixed base upon whicha plate and pattern are supported, of a supporting-beam movable acrosssaid base, a pantograph-support in which a pantograph is freelysuspended carried by said beam and adjustable both longitudinally andvertically with respect thereto, means by which the beam may be movedacross the base, and means by which the pan- JIO tograph-support may beadjusted longitudinally and vertically with respect to said beam,substantially as described.

3. In an engraving-machine, the combination with a fixed base upon whicha plate and pattern are supported, of a supporting-beam mounted uponsuitable guides fixed to the base and movable across said base, abracket slidably mounted on said beam and movable longitudinallythereof, aslide mounted in vertical guideways in said bracket andprovided with bearings for a spindle towhich the pan-' tograph isattached, and a pantograph attached to said spindle, substantially asdescribed.

4. In an engravingmachine, thecombination with a fixed base upon Which aplate and pattern are supported, of a supporting-beam mounted uponsuitable guides fixedto the base ROSS E. GRAY.

Witnesses:

O. G. DOUGHERTY,

C. W. LEHEW.

